There’s a history of Cincinnati influence in South Bend, including Kelly, who spent three seasons with the Bearcats before taking the Notre Dame job. A year before Kelly poached Freeman, he hired Bearcats defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a Cincinnati alum who was a teammate of Freeman’s at Wayne High School outside of Dayton.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has become the center of college football and NFL rumors alike, drawing comparisons to a Super Bowl-winning coach for his transformative work in South Bend.

One of the biggest rivals Notre Dame has ever had considers himself a fan of Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman.

Marcus Freeman is one of the biggest names in college football right now — not just because the Notre Dame head coach has led the Fighting Irish to the brink of its first national championship since 1988, but because of how he has done it.

Here is an in-depth look at Marcus Freeman, who has piqued the Bears' interest following his historic season at Notre Dame.

(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Jan 9, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After calling all of Notre Dame's Playoff games for ESPN, McElory has a unique perspective on the Fighting Irish.

FOX Sports' Michael Cohen explains how Marcus Freeman constructed Notre Dame's roster and how the Fighting Irish are winning at such an elite level without a handful of five-star prospects.